What is your favorite storyline heading into Super Bowl XLVII?

Sunday

Jan 27, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Frank CoppolaSports editor, Portsmouth HeraldTwitter: @FrankCoppola12Despite what ESPN tells you, there are storylines in this game that do not involve Ray Lewis or the Harbaugh brothers. One of which is Randy Moss’ pursuit of that elusive championship ring. Moss is best remembered here as Tom Brady’s favorite target during the 16-0 season of 2007. Moss grabbed a record 23 touchdown passes that year and had what would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been the game-winning TD catch in the waning minutes of the Patriots’ shocking loss to the Giants. Moss played well the next two seasons but wore out his welcome in 2010, when he was shipped to the Vikings for a 2011 third-round pick that the Patriots used to take quarterback Ryan Mallett. Moss was released after just four games in Minnesota, played eight nearly invisible games with the Titans and announced his retirement in August 2011. Moss sat out the entire 2011 season but came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with the 49ers last March. Now this future Hall of Famer is one win away from getting that championship ring he came oh-so-close to in 2007.

Frank CoppolaSports editor, Portsmouth HeraldTwitter: @FrankCoppola12Despite what ESPN tells you, there are storylines in this game that do not involve Ray Lewis or the Harbaugh brothers. One of which is Randy Moss’ pursuit of that elusive championship ring. Moss is best remembered here as Tom Brady’s favorite target during the 16-0 season of 2007. Moss grabbed a record 23 touchdown passes that year and had what would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been the game-winning TD catch in the waning minutes of the Patriots’ shocking loss to the Giants. Moss played well the next two seasons but wore out his welcome in 2010, when he was shipped to the Vikings for a 2011 third-round pick that the Patriots used to take quarterback Ryan Mallett. Moss was released after just four games in Minnesota, played eight nearly invisible games with the Titans and announced his retirement in August 2011. Moss sat out the entire 2011 season but came out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with the 49ers last March. Now this future Hall of Famer is one win away from getting that championship ring he came oh-so-close to in 2007.

Jay PinsonnaultSports editor, weekly publicationsTwitter: @jaypinceThe biggest storyline of the Super Bowl for local football fans is former University of New Hampshire cornerback Corey Graham. Graham is just the second Wildcat to appear in a Super Bowl, joining Dan Kreider, who won a championship ring in 2006 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Graham, a four-year starter at UNH, has certainly carved up a nice career for himself since being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. He made the Pro Bowl last year on special teams and then cashed in two months later, inking a two-year, $3.7 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Injuries to Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and Chris Johnson gave Graham a chance, one he never got in Chicago, to be a starting cornerback with the Ravens. He started his first game in Week 10 and has made the most of his opportunity. He had two interceptions in the regular season and matched that against Peyton Manning in Baltimore’s upset win over top-seeded Denver in the divisional round, returning one for a touchdown. Graham then had 11 tackles, matching a season-high, in Baltimore’s win over the Patriots last Sunday in the AFC championship game.

Mike Zhe, staff writerTwitter: @MikeZhe603That the Cowboys once again aren’t in it. No, seriously, how about the unlikely combination of quarterbacks who led their teams into the big game? One — the Ravens’ Joe Flacco — came from the FCS ranks and has had his rough patches. The other — the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick — wasn’t even a starter until midseason. But their playoff performances have both been above criticism, as they’ve outplayed high-caliber signal callers like the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, the Broncos’ Peyton Manning, the Falcons’ Matt Ryan and, yes, Patriots icon Tom Brady. It almost took a game (and a second half) like last week to remind us how good Flacco, the former Delaware star, has been in Baltimore. He’s the only QB in NFL history to win at least one playoff game in each of his first five seasons and, while his defense and superb back Ray Rice have surely contributed to that, he’s become a money guy in January. Kaepernick, inserted boldly over incumbemt Alex Smith at midseason, has peaked in the playoffs. Not bad for a guy who made his college bones at that noted powerhouse Nevada. And not a bad matchup in a game that usually showcases the game’s biggest stars under center.

Ryan O’LearyStaff writerTwitter: @Ry_OLearySMGMy favorite storyline has personal ties. Once upon a time, I was a senior at the University of New Hampshire and an intern here at Seacoast Media Group. One story I vividly remember was attending a media availability for the UNH football team — a privilege for a young, aspiring sports writer — and writing a notebook piece that led with cornerback Corey Graham’s season-ending injury. Graham was a senior and a legitimate NFL prospect along with wide receiver David Ball during that 2007 season. But he broke his left fibula at midseason, and healed by February, he was still less than 100 percent for the NFL scouting combine. We all know the story by now. He was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, made the 2012 Pro Bowl as the NFC’s special-teamer, and not only outlasted Ball at the pro ranks, but will play for the Ravens as a starting corner in the Super Bowl next Sunday. And how’s this for full circle: I got the chance to interview Graham in the Baltimore locker room after the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium last week — another privilege that I will always hold dearly.

Dan DoyonCorrespondentTwitter: @DanDoyon1SMGHow many people knew who Colin Kaepernick was before the season started? Now he’s gone from a backup to the favorite to win Super Bowl MVP honors. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to bench starting quarterback Alex Smith after he suffered a concussion in Week 10 was gutsy. Smith guided the 49ers to the NFC championship game last year and was the third highest-rated passer in the NFL at the time of his injury. Harbaugh trusted the inexperienced Kaepernick, and he delivered. This running and passing threat gave one of the most memorable performances in playoff history with over 400 combined yards and four touchdowns in a 45-31 victory over Green Bay in the divisional round. Kaepernick is poised, mature and full of confidence heading into the Super Bowl. He’s one of a slew of young quarterbacks who are changing the way the position is being played, and he’s primed to thrive on the biggest stage. Win or lose, everyone knows who this bright star is now and we’ll be hearing a ton from him in the future.

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